Never before have we had access to the networking tools that we currently have on the internet. I would encourage any professional in any industry to use these tools. However, the key is to use them wisely.

Why network:
The goal is to attempt to make connections with those in your industry that may be able to open doors in your career that you would otherwise not be exposed to. You may also have the opportunity to gain knowledge as it relates to your industry and skill set.

How to network properly:
Given the ease of reaching out to professional contacts with online tools, one should be careful use this power wisely. Gathering professional “contacts” should not be similar to the farming for “friends” common on social networking websites.

Do not spam your information to hundreds of people hoping someone will see your name and current title and realize a connection, but rather do some research and compile a list of a couple dozen or more key people with which a valuable connection could be found.

Reach out to them and explain your connection and why you would want to make contact with them. Avoid using a generic “I thought I would reach out to you to network”, but rather put thought into a message that shows each person you’ve reached out to that you’ve considered your relation to them specifically.

Who to network with:
1) Recruiters for your specific skill set that represent companies that you could see yourself working with in the future.

2) Professional peers and managers working for companies that you could see yourself working with in the future.

3) User groups – No matter your industry, if you live in a metropolitan area, chances are that a user group meets semi regularly for the purposes of skill building and/or networking.

This of course is not an all encompassing list. Get creative, do some research and see what avenues you can find that would be worthwhile to explore!